The Conservative Renaissance has begun

The articles on Conroy’s Net Filter have evolved from the initial series of reports about new developments into opinion articles and hypotheticals. Proponents of the filter have also had time to surface after the splash from Conroy has subsided.

One such proponent, Clive Hamilton, formerly of The Australia Institute, takes credit for the framework that forms the basis for Conroy’s scheme. His official response to early articles about him is posted with permission over at Broadbanned.

There’s a part of this article that, despite his earlier protestations, does make Hamilton sound too Orwellian for comfort.

I wonder whether you ever reflect one why you become so enraged about proposals to regulate the Internet? Look at the words you have used to attack me — “desperate”, “wild claim”, “contempt for principled, honest and logical intellectual debate”, “intellectually dishonest”, “an intellectual disgrace of the highest order, “intellectually shoddy”, “dishonest and disgraceful”, “should be ashamed of himself”, “barbarian”.

Really, Jon, one has to ask what on earth is going on with net libertarians such as yourself.

Clive

Is Clive Hamilton of the opinion that the use of these words should inspire people to censor the Internet? That such vicious criticism of his opinion should be hidden from young eyes?

I suggest that Mr Hamilton should ask himself a question about the intellectual freedoms he enjoyed in attaining his position as an academic. I’m sure that his readings were not vetted and filtered for appropriate adherence to contemporary social values.

Nobody is talking about child porn anymore. What kind of academic thinks it desirable to put a tool for censorship into ANY government’s hands? If my reading is correct, the conservative kind.

Let’s just remember that modern “conservatism” appears to be based on an inherent distrust of people’s ability to make their own decisions. Labor or Liberal, it seems that the only options on the table last election were conservative ones. Between the Alcopop failure and the clean feed, Kevin Rudd is coming dangerously close to abusing his mandate.

Dear Kevin,

Please keep in mind that we didn’t so much vote you in as vote Howard out. We appreciate your attempts at turning Australia into a dictatorship but would kindly like to remind you that we can still vote you out.

Yours sincerely,
Everyone.

P.S. The Daily Show humor had to be there. I would have cried if I’d omitted it.